| Authors |
Our experts are ready to take your life and work to a whole new dimension.
MIMI NICKLIN
She is an experienced marketer and communications specialist, and a well-known empathetic leader. For over thirteen years she has been working across the globe with her clients to drive stand out creative interventions that lead to business and culture change. Driven by the pursuit of bringing conscientiousness to the role and impact of leadership, with a desire to make the world of work a more empathetic, valuable and sustainable place to be, Softening The Edge is Mimi’s first book. She is also a keynote speaker and columnist.
Having lived and worked in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Dubai, Mimi’s approach changes organisations from the inside out, focusing on cultural, behavioural and mindset change. Based in Dubai, she is a natural coach, writer and creative mind, and has held roles as diverse as Strategic Director, Vice President and Creative Officer in some of the world’s leading advertising agencies. Her passion for balancinghumanism with capitalism, drives her commitment to leading the practice of conscientious and empathetic leadership, and her ‘principles of people’, into organisations worldwide.
Instagram: @miminicklin
TILDA TIMMERS
Netherlands-based Tilda Timmers is a therapist specialising in postpartum depression. She works with parents who are not on cloud nine after giving birth, who might be feeling overwhelmed, ashamed, depressed, and anything in between. She gives them their life back, introducing them to tools they need to feel more confident, happier and above all: balanced in their new role as a parent.
Tilda writes from the heart having suffered from postpartum depression with her first child. Her dream is to help as many mothers as she can to get through what might be their biggest challenge to date.
Instagram: @geenrozewolk
BASHAYER ARIF
She is an Emirati woman born and raised in Dubai. She has a degree in English Language & Literature and has worked as a freelance copywriter, proofreader and editor.
Bashayer has been an avid reader since the age of six. She believes in the profound power of storytelling and credits her passion for books for shaping who she is today. Her other interests include anthropology, true crime, fitness, and psychology.
Instagram:
WALEED SHAH
Waleed was born and raised in the UAE. He is a Chemical Engineer by education and started his career working in th e oil industry before discovering a love of photography. He has had the opportunity to work with some of the finest establishments in the industry, talented local artists, international legends passing through the UAE as well as some of the coolest brands out there. Waleed is an official Fuji-X-Photographer.
His series titled, Rock Your Ugly, which explores the intersection between physical and mental health through a series of portraits will be published by the Dreamwork Collective in 2021.
Instagram: @waleedshah
RUZINA AHAD
Ruzina is a British Bangladeshi writer, born and raised in London and is currently residing in Abu Dhabi with her husband and two kids. She has a Masters in Leadership and Management in Education and has been working as an instructor/teacher trainer for over twelve years. Ruzina has a vivacious approach to life and truly believes that real victory comes to those who dare to Dream, rely on the power of Dua and then go out to Do whatever it is they need to do in order to achieve their goals.
Instagram: @ruzinaahad
AMANDEEP AHUJA
Amandeep was born in London, United Kingdom and emigrated to Dubai with her family at the age of 6. She is a Political Economist by education, fitness professional by qualification and writer by passion. She has an opinion about most things ranging from political debate across the world to Bollywood songs from the nineties and noughties that need to make a comeback. She describes her book as an account of the confused state of mind of her and her generation. She currently lives in Dubai with her parents and baby (her White German Shepherd).
Instagram: @ahujaamandeep
SALHA
Born in London to Omani Zanzibari parents, Salha has been daydreaming, performing, and creating songs, plays and stories since she was a child. As an adult, armed with a seemingly redundant degree in languages, she founded the successful corporate Million Dollar Band, with whom she travelled the world playing music. Family girl, proud Muslim, crazy cat lady, doting wife, shoe enthusiast, yoga teacher and professional rock star, she has now added ‘author’ with her first novel, The End of Summer. Having lived in Bahrain, London, Germany, L.A., Muscat, Beirut, Dubai, she has finally settled (for now) with her amazing husband and 2 rescue cats in Zanzibar.
Instagram: @simplysalha and @kasazanzibar
ALEX THOMAS
Mysticism and parenting; business leadership and wisdom; technology and love. Alex stumbles around the world, fascinated by love, relationships and wisdom. He writes from the perspective of a father, husband, technology innovator and entrepreneur. In his business life, Alex founded a global aviation technology company that has taken him around the globe. These travels have allowed him to explore cultures, religions, spiritual practices and temples with a sense of wonder, appreciation and a sense of fraternity; a deep love of humanity and cosmic artistry.
Alex grew up in Canada and the UK. He lives in Dubai. His debut memoir Man in Motion, chronicles his journey from divorce and the interrupted life towards love and wisdom.
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GISELLE ONANIAN
Born in the UK to English and Lebanese-Armenian parents, and raised in Dubai, Giselle is what they call an ‘expat brat’. She has been lucky, since the age of five, to be raised in a place that is a true melting pot of people and cultures; where you can experience both the usual and the unusual and, where friends become family.
Giselle is now fortunate to be giving the same upbringing to her two children and has taken inspiration from life as a ‘third culture kid’ to write children’s stories for the little ones who make their home away from ‘home’.
By day, Giselle is a creative producer and copywriter, having worked with some of the world’s leading retail and hospitality brands. By night, she is ‘Mum’ or more importantly, to Frankie and Isobel, ‘story reader’, with a passion for travel, family and Netflix documentaries.
@giselle_o_a
FATIMA DAOUI
She is one of the Middle East’s most recognised business reporters, with over 15 years of experience to date.
Known for her scoops and exclusive interviews, Ms Daoui is based in the UAE and travels wherever the story takes her, from Saudi Arabia where she specialises in covering business stories, to the far reaches of the globe to moderate influential panels on global economic issues.
Ms Daoui launched her career as an analyst at investment firm Capital Trust, where she gained insights into the world of investing. In 2005, Ms Daoui practiced as a Family Office consultant until 2008, when she joined Al Arabiya News Channel in Dubai a business anchor for the channel’s daily financial news program, Aswaq Al Arabiya. Today she continues to thrive in her prominent presence as a senior business and financial news anchor.
MAHA AL-KHALAWI
An exhibited Saudi artist, designer and illustrator with a culturally diverse background that enriched her perspective on the world, Maha was compelled to express her voice through visual and written forms of storytelling.
During her ten years of experience in the creative industries, Maha designed brand identities, launched an Arabic greeting card company and later entered the corporate world as an innovation designer.
In her field, she is known as "someone with a gift for taking complex topics and breaking them down into simple ideas”. This reputation encouraged her to bring together her art, storytelling and some life-enriching tools she picked up over the years to create a series of Arabic children’s stories that not only capture the imagination, but also create a common language for children to better understand and express themselves.
@creative_curious
MAHRA ALI ALALI
Mahra is an Emirati author and student. She wrote her first book at the age of 13 with the goal to help the new generation develop, grow and become the best version of themselves. Mahra admires reading and writing, in her free time she likes to go horse riding, ice skating and exercising. Mahra is passionate about developing herself more and more everyday and learning new things on the journey.
@mhr_alali
JESSICA SMITH MOA
Author of Just Jessica children's book seies
Jessica is a former Australian paralympic swimmer, speaker, entrepreneur, and children’s book author. Born missing her left arm, then suffering a horrific accident when she was a toddler where she sustained burns to 15% of her body, she defied odds and went on to represent her country in the sport of swimming for seven years, culminating in her selection onto the Australian Paralympic team in 2004. Since retiring from her international swimming career Jessica has gone on to become an internationally recognised advocate for positive body image, diversity and inclusion, and disability awareness being awarded one of Australia’s highest honours, the Medal of the Order of Australia. Jessica is also the mother of three young children. Her journey into motherhood inspired her to write a series of children’s books about disability and acceptance. After growing up with limited resources on these topics, Jessica wanted to create characters that represent what kids see in everyday life. Her book series Just Jessica is about a young girl with one hand who learns that being different is okay.
@jessicasmith27
SYLA ASGHAR
Syla has been passionate about the arts and literature from her earliest encounters with books. She knew she was destined to write from the precocious age of seven, when she first noticed her favourite books didn’t include characters like her.
With a background in Art History and Education, Syla believes in the power of story-telling in order for humans to acquire knowledge and locate their place in the world. Syla was born in Bolton, UK and now lives in Abu Dhabi, UAE. When she’s not reading or writing, Syla spends her time as an aspiring film maker, chef, yoga enthusiast and traveller.
SAMANTHA GREGSON
Samantha has worked in media and communications for more than 15 years. A former television producer, Samantha spent eight years working at Sky News in London. Here, she interviewed a number of political figures and commentators on the day's top news stories - from the war in Syria to the U.S elections for the channel's World News programme. Samantha moved to the Middle East in 2015 where she transitioned into strategic communications. It was whilst living in Doha that she adopted a little rescue dog, Buddy - who became the inspiration for her first novel. They currently reside in Dubai.
When she is not writing, Samantha is an avid Liverpool FC fan and enjoys reading and running. Samantha has a bachelor's degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and is from Lancashire, UK.
HANAE BEZAD
Hanae is a serial entrepreneur with a deep understanding of how different sectors (governments and international development institutions, civil society, business, and finance) impact systems-change, both locally and globally. Her areas of expertise are at the intersection of technology, sustainability, inclusion, entrepreneurship and international development. Building on decades of experience in Europe, Africa and America, in her debut book Hanae introduces readers to BIWOC’s burgeoning leadership movement, rising entrepreneurs and philanthropists, and new cultural innovators making an impact in various industries.
NIKKI HEYDER
A therapist, Yoga teacher, mother and mentor, Nikki is driven by a compassion focused approach in all that she does. Fascinated by human development and the human mind, she has spent over a decade working with her clients around issues such as disordered eating, addiction, perfectionism, shame, trauma, and low self worth. A recovering perfectionist herself, she writes in reflection of both her personal and professional experiences, hoping to inspire readers to live a life of more self acceptance, authenticity, and inner freedom.
SURYA RAMKUMAR
Surya Ramkumar is a writer based in Dubai, the UAE. Born in Kerala, a beautiful state in the south of India, Surya has lived in nine countries and traveled to many more. Through writing, Surya brings together various strands of her life–that of a mother, wife, and daughter and that of a technologist, business leader, and sustainability advocate. She is passionate about the power of words to bring about meaningful social change. Her personal mission as a writer is to bring clarity and understanding of a complex world in a way that makes it accessible to more people through clear thinking and engaging storytelling. The Sky Has Moved Away is her first book-length work of fiction. Her short stories have been included in anthologies (Silverfish New Writing 7). Her previous book, Silent Eloquence (Spotted Okapi Press, 2020), is a collection of essays chronicling her experiences as she traveled across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Europe.
HELEN FARMER
Helen Farmer is BBC-trained broadcast journalist, juggling a career in broadcasting and writing with her main role as mum to her two daughters. She has worked in publishing and radio in Dubai for 17 years, known for her honest take on living, working and parenting, through her social media platform @_helenfarmer_, and on her show on Dubai Eye 10308, Afternoons with Helen Farmer.
Our collective is filled with inspiring, creative and positive voices. Our authors write about all sorts of different topics but are united in their vision in wanting to make the world a better place. We only work with heart-centered, impact-driven people, so you can be sure that the pages you flip through and the people you learn from here have dedicated themselves to be in service of you and humanity through putting their dream work out into the world.
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